Accordion



' 23, 1940. w. GOLLNICK ACCORDION Filed May 16, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Apri] 23, 1940. w, GOLLNlCK 2,198,160

Acconnron Filed May 16, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jkl/@idw W; #lter @owne/c Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE ACCORDION Walter Gollnick, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 16, 1938, Serial No. 208,196 y 4 Claims.

This invention relates -to improvements in accordions.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means whereby, during the playing of an accordion, vibrato effects can be produced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which may be installed in a conventional accordion for producing vibrato eilects.

Other objects relate to various features and arrangement of parts which will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig, 1 is a broken top plan view of a conventlonal accordion showing an embodiment of the improvements installed therein;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Flg. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of an accordion broken away for illustrating the vibrato producing mechanism installed in the bellows compartment of the accordion; and

Fig. 4 is a broken sectional view of a conventional accordion showing a modification of the improvements.

In the drawings, I0 indicates generally a conventional accordion provided with end casings I I and I2 which support the keys, reeds, and other conventional portions of the instrument. Connecting the members II and I2 is a conventional bellows I3. The means shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 for producing the vibrato effect is adapted to be installed in the bellows compartment I4 as, for example, by attaching the same to the reed blocks or other relatively rm portions of the instru,- ment. The position of attachment of the vibrato-producing means is not particularly important so long as it does not interfere with the usual operation of the instrumentI and is located in or in communication with the bellows compartment The mechanism shown in Figs. l to 3, inclusive, comprises an expandible-contractible member` indicated generally by the numeral I6. The member I6 is in the form of a bellows and comprises a base II which, by means of a clip or mounting plate I8, may be attached to the reed blocks by screws I9 as shown in Fig. 3. Hinged to the base or relatively stationary member I'I is a movable bellows member 2l! and connected thereto also by the flexible bellows member 2I. The member 20 is arranged to be moved toward and away from the member I1 by a motor such as an electric motor 22 which may likewise be mounted in the bellows vcompartment I4 upon the blocks I5.

The motor may be provided, as shown in Fig. 3, with a reduction gear housing 23 within which, on the motor shaft 24, is mounted a driving pinion 25 which drives a gear 26 journaled in the housing 23 and which rotates a stub shaft 21 provided with a crank arm 28 at its outer end. The arm 28 carries a pin or connecting member 29 which passes through a recess in a link. 30 swingably attached to the projecting end of ashort bar 3| which is secured to the bellows member 2D. The rotation of the motor 22 will, by this mechanism, operate the bellows member 20 in a direction toward and away from the relatively stationary member I'I. The effect of this movement is to vary the effective air space of the compartment I4 and thus produce successive pressure pulsations and rarefactions of the air pressure obtaining in the bellows during the playing thereof, thereby producing the vibrato eiect.

For the purpose of avoiding the formation of partial vacuum within the bellows I6 and successive compressions of air within the same, the bellows is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 as connnunieating with the atmosphere through a flexible conduit 32. Thus, during the operation` of the bellows I6, a reciprocating movement of air is produced within the conduit 32 and alternative compressions and rarefactions of the air within the bellowsitself is avoided. The 'load on the motor is thus reduced.

Means may be provided for varying the throw of the crank pin 29 such as by the provision of additional apertures' 33 and 34 in the arm 28 in either of which the crank pin 29 may be inserted, when desired, for increasing or decreasing the distance of travel of the bellows member 20. By placing the crank pin in the aperture 34, for example, the bellows member 20 will swing through a greater arc than when the pin 29 is in the receiving recess more closely located with reference to the axis of rotation.

Where the motor is electrically actuated, it is desirable to provide a switch 35 whereby the player can start or stop the motor conveniently, the switch being connected electrically to a receptacle 36 in which a small conduit plug 31 of the conductor 38 may be inserted for convenient attachment to any convenient source of electric energy,

When the mechanism described is in use, the accordion will, of course, operate in its usual manner but thev player may, by operation of the time or portion of the selection being pla-yed as he desires.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, the same vibratoproducing mechanism is shown located on the exterior of the casing or head of the instrument and the various parts are indicated by corresponding references which have been primed. The device is shown enclosed in a housing 39. The conduit 32' communicates with the bellows compartment I4 whereby the latter communicates with the interior of the bellows I6. When the bellows member 20 moves toward the member II, air is forced through the tube 32' into the chamber I4', thereby producing a slight increase of pressure in the chamber I4. When the member 20 moves away from member l1', air is drawn from chamber I4 into the bellows I6' thus producing a slight rarefaction in the prevailing pressure in the chamber I4'. The vibrato effect is thus produced by the pumping action of the bellows I6 producing alternate pressure pulsations and rarefactions as will be clear.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my improvements for the purpose of illustration, it will be seen that various changes in the location and construction of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. An accordion comprising a bellows compartment, and means for producing a vibrato effect during use of the accordion comprising a bellows acting within the bellows compartment for displacing air therein for creating alternate recurring pressure pulsations and rarefactions of the air in said compartment, and means comprising a motor for operating said bellows.

2. An accordion comprising a bellows compartment, means for producing a vibrato effect comprising an air displaceable bellows communicating with said compartment for effecting rapidly recurring variations in air pressure in said compartment, and means independent of the ow of air in said bellows compartment for operating said second bellows.

3. In an accordion having a bellows compartment, means for producing a vibrato effect cornprising a member in said compartment operable for successively increasing and decreasing rapidly the available air space of said compartment, and means independent of the flow of air in said bellows compartment for operating said member.

4. In an accordion having a bellows compartment, means for producing a vibrato eiect comprising a hollow air displacing member in said compartment comprising a bellows operable in opposite directions alternately for producing rapidly succeeding pulsations and rarefactions of air pressure in said compartment, means for operating said member, and means independent of the air in said bellows compartment for varying the value of said pulsations and rarefactions for varying the vibrato effect.

WALTER GOLLNICK. 

